Cook & Boardman Group Blog

The Access Advantage: Winter Watch: Security Insights and Safety Strategies for the Season

Written by Cook & Boardman | Nov 10, 2025 5:23:56 PM

Close out the year with insights on security during the busy holiday season and ensuring facilities are ready for colder weather.

The Advantage Feature

Staying Secure During the Holiday Rush

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! But the holiday season also happens to be one of the busiest and most stressful times of the year for businesses. Ensuring your business is safe and secure during the holiday rush is essential for protecting not only your business, but also your customers or clients.  

Let’s look at some ways you can protect your property during peak shopping and travel season. 

Mobile Surveillance for Events 

As holiday markets and winter festivals take place, temporary security solutions like mobile surveillance trailers provide flexible coverage for high-traffic events. These units can be quickly deployed, repositioned as needed, and integrated with existing systems to give security teams better visibility and faster response times. Their portability and remote monitoring capabilities make them ideal for short-term use without sacrificing situational awareness.

Weapons Detection for Crowds 

Despite the cold weather, the holiday season brings out crowds. Whether people are out shopping, traveling home, or attending indoor events, large gatherings bring risks of unwanted items. Weapons detection systems offer an efficient, noninvasive way to screen large groups and prevent potential threats before they enter secured areas. Modern solutions can blend seamlessly into entryways, maintaining both safety and the festive atmosphere.

Seasonal Access Control 

Many businesses bring on seasonal staff to assist with increased traffic during the holiday season. Because these staff are temporary employees, they only need temporary access control. Cloud-based and mobile credentialing systems make it easy to issue and revoke access quickly, helping maintain security and compliance while reducing administrative strain. This ensures only authorized individuals can enter restricted areas — even during the busiest time of year.

 

The Advantage in Action

This Year's Trends in Review and a Glimpse into 2026

In 2025, our industry witnessed an accelerated shift toward cloud-hosted platforms and mobile-enabled access. The result was improved flexibility, scalability, and visibility across access control systems, marking a move toward centralized, streamlined management and away from traditional on-premise models that required greater staffing and manual upkeep.

Real-time monitoring and AI-driven analytics also surged in adoption, marking a fundamental shift in access management practices. What was once a reactive process has evolved into one of intelligent predictability and proactive oversight. For many, this means greater efficiency, faster decision-making, and a more connected understanding of how people and systems interact across facilities.

Looking ahead to 2026, the focus expands to even greater intelligence, adaptability, and integration. AI-powered platforms and analytics will continue to strengthen access management as systems work together across doors, video monitoring, and other smart building technologies, creating a truly intelligent, responsive ecosystem of security that’s more adaptive than ever before.

The year ahead promises access control that is not just smart, but anticipatory, adaptable, and ready to meet the evolving demands of modern facilities.

Want to read more about what we predicted for 2025? Check out the blog below.

 

 

Advantage Insights

Winter Preparedness & Life Safety 

How do cold weather conditions impact fire and life safety, security, and building operations?

Freezing temperatures, snow, and ice can compromise access points and weaken the physical security of commercial properties. Reinforcing entry systems and implementing automated monitoring tools can help safeguard critical areas.

Here are 3 ways to prepare your property for winter weather:
  • Weatherproof Locks and Entry Points: Use heavy-duty, weather-resistant locks and door frames designed to withstand freezing temperatures and snow accumulation. 
  • Utilize Automated Monitoring Tools: Implement access controls integrated with monitoring systems to provide real-time alerts for unauthorized access or system malfunctions  
  • Clear Emergency Exits: Ensure all emergency exits are free from snow and ice to maintain compliance and support evacuation procedures. 

Preparing for winter weather before it happens is the best way to keep your property safe, secure, and operational during the winter season.  

Want more insight on how to prepare for winter weather? Check out our Seasonal Resilience eBook. 

 

 

Resource Spotlight: Security Checklist

Retail Security Checklist: How to Protect Your Business This Holiday Season

The holiday season is one of the busiest and most challenging times of the year for retail operations. With increased foot traffic, high-value inventory on display, and seasonal staffing changes, retailers face heightened security risks. 

Our Retail Security Checklist is designed to give busy teams a quick, actionable guide for safeguarding your store during this critical period. This resource covers essential steps for: 

  • Physical Security: Best practices for doors, windows, and display protection. 
  • Access Control: How to manage employee access, visitor protocols, and temporary staffing. 
  • Surveillance & Monitoring: Tips for positioning cameras, reviewing footage, and responding to incidents. 
  • Inventory & Loss Prevention: Strategies to prevent theft, monitor high-value items, and streamline audits. 
  • Emergency Preparedness: Quick-reference guidance for alarms, lockdowns, and incident response. 

Whether you’re a retail facility manager, security director, or loss prevention professional, this checklist helps ensure your store is secure and your team is prepared, without slowing down operations.